Japanese name: アイスランドポピー Scientific name:Papaver nudicaule
[Overview]
A perennial grown as an annual. Because it is weak against heat, it is grown as an annual sown in autumn.
The whole plant is hairy, and white latex comes out when it is damaged.
The leaves grow from the base in a rosette, are pinnately cut and have leaf stalks.
In March–May it sends up a flower stalk about 30 cm long, bearing a single flower 6–10 cm across at the tip. There are 4 petals, broadly ovate, and the calyx is hairy but falls off as the flower opens. There are many cultivars, with various flower colors such as white, pink, yellow and red.
[Uses]
Because the flower stalks are long, it is used as a cut flower and brightens florists' shops in early spring.
[Cultivation]
It prefers a sunny, well-drained place.
It dislikes acidic soil.
